COURSE OVERVIEW

Students will learn the rules, techniques, skills, principles and tactics of three sports: Ultimate Frisbee, Touch rugby and 5-a-side football (Soccer). Techniques, skills, principles, and tactics will be covered in the first 5 lessons, culminating in a student-run tournament on the 6th. They will also learn to reflect on their own performance as a player and official. After each skill lesson, they will reflect on their performance and decide on their focus areas for the next practice. After each tournament, they will reflect on their knowledge of the rules and their ability to demonstrate character and resilience, both as players and officials. 

Through this course, students will develop the skills to find and create their own learning opportunities. In doing so, they will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their personal learning strategies and explore ways to improve. Seeking this feedback is an essential part of personal growth and learning. In developing the various games, students will need to demonstrate grit, tenacity, perseverance, adaptability, and resilience when they face inevitable challenges. They should also look to help others do the same. In doing so, they will develop strategies to address adversity, mistakes, and failures in a positive manner.

Focus: Dealing with adversity and self-regulation in a sport with no referees.

Week 1 - Foundations of Flight: Basic backhand grip and "The Spirit of the Game" (SOTG) philosophy.

• Grit & Tenacity: Dealing with the frustration of a disc "pancaking" or stalling.

Week 2 - The Pivot & Release: Introduction to the "marker" (defender) and 10-second stall count.

• Creating Learning Opportunities: Students design a 2-minute drill to fix their own throwing arc.

Week 3 - Catching & Space: Introduction to "Pancake" vs. "Claw" catches and moving to open space.

• Positive Response to Failure: Reflection on dropped catches—reframing mistakes as data for growth.

Week 4 - Basic Offense (Vertical Stack): Understanding where to stand so teammates can run.

• Helping Others: Experienced players help peers identify their best "cutting" strategy.

Week 5 - The "SOTG" Mini-Tournament: Student-led 4-team round robin.

• Reflecting on Progress: Mid-phase check: "What strategy is working for my learning?"

Week 6 - Student-Organized Finals: Students manage rules, scoring, and conflict resolution.

• Dealing with Adversity: Handling contested calls without an adult intervention.

Focus: Collaboration and adaptability. Starting with basic backward passing and "The Touch."

Week 7 - The Backward Pass: Understanding the "offside" line and basic ball handling.

• Adaptability: Adjusting to the unique rule of passing backward to move forward.

Week 8 - The Touch & Roll Ball: How to initiate a "touch" and restart play safely.

• Resilience: Maintaining effort after being touched/stopped repeatedly.

Week 9 - Defensive "Retreat": Mastering the 5m retreat and stay-in-line defense.

• Strengths & Weaknesses: Identifying if one is better at "dumping" the ball or defending the wing.

Week 10 - 3-on-2 Overloads: Learning to draw a defender and pass to a teammate.

• Seeking Feedback: Actively asking teammates: "Where do you want me to be for the pass?"

Week 11 - Student Tournament Logistics: Roles assigned (Referee, Analyst, Team Manager).

• Helping Others: Leaders coaching teammates on how to "read" the defensive line.

Week 12 - The Astro Touch Cup: The student-run tournament.

• Character Reflection: How did I help my team stay positive when we were behind?

Focus: Critical thinking and perseverance in a high-tempo environment.

Week 13 - Control & Scanning: Receiving the ball and knowing where to go next.

• Creating Learning: Finding ways to practice "first touch" outside of team drills.

Week 14 - Support Play: Moving to support the player on the ball (Triangles).

• Collaboration: Communicating clearly to help a teammate under pressure.

Week 15 - Transition (Attack to Defense): The "5-second rule" to win the ball back.

• Grit & Perseverance: The physical and mental demand of "tracking back" after losing the ball.

Week 16 - Finishing & Pressure: Shooting and scoring under 1v1 defensive pressure.

• Reflecting on Growth: Comparing week 13 performance to week 16 using workbook data.

Week 17 - Team Tactics Workshop: Teams finalize their 7-a-side formations.

• Critical Thinking: Identifying the team’s collective strengths (e.g., fast wingers vs. strong defense).

Week 18 - The Astro World Finale: Final 4-team tournament.

• The Character Capstone: Final reflection on resilience and "failing forward" throughout the term.